The mushroom industry has witnessed explosive growth due to its purported health benefits. From improving immune system functioning and treating cancer, to including them as part of superfood smoothies and tea blends, mushrooms are now widely considered essential in healthcare practices such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine – not forgetting smoothies! One popular way of enjoying mushrooms is via mushroom tea which involves steeping dried or fresh mushroom pieces in hot water for several minutes until ready to consume as an infusion.

Mushroom tea can be made using various kinds of mushrooms such as reishi, chaga or maitake; occasionally also made with lion’s mane mushrooms (known as hou tou gu). Most often this tea will include both dried and fresh mushroom pieces in it as well. Reishi mushrooms are popularly found in anti-aging and wellness products, believed to enhance energy and sleep quality. Chaga mushrooms, on the other hand, are considered adaptogens; thus aiding your body’s ability to manage stress. Maitake mushrooms have long been used to balance hormone levels, reduce inflammation and support digestive health. With an earthy woody flavor and long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine as an immune booster and antiviral, Maitake offers great potential in supporting digestive wellbeing.

Lion’s mane is an effective solution for increasing cognitive function, believed to aid learning and memory retention. An alkaloid, it contains antioxidants which have been demonstrated to support immune health; furthermore it boasts a delicious sweet flavour often mixed with herbs or spices such as hibiscus flowers, licorice root root or lemongrass to add depth of taste.

To create mushroom tea, dried or fresh mushroom pieces and powder are added to hot water in a cup, stirred until fully dissolved, and typically in ratio of one or two tablespoons per cup of liquid. This enables volatile aromatic compounds from mushrooms to escape into the steaming liquid and be released as aroma compounds from steaming liquid.

Mushroom tea can be enjoyed as an alternative to coffee or as part of an overall wellness routine, providing an ideal way to replace coffee with something nutritious and beneficial for our health and wellness. Although mushroom tea should be consumed on a regular basis as part of a healthy diet plan, certain mushroom blends may not be appropriate for certain individuals – if this applies to you it’s important that you consult your healthcare provider first before including mushroom blends into your daily regimen.

Studies have demonstrated that the aroma notes of mushrooms vary depending on their species, preparation and storage conditions. Reishi tea may have musty to papery notes with cardboardy or even fermented, stale aromas. Such fragrances have been linked with various chemical compounds including naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene dibenzofuran and (Z)-4-heptenal aroma compounds which have been shown to increase woody notes while decreasing mushroom and fishy aromas; also associated with polyphenols presence! Chaga and Reishi tea aroma notes have also been associated with this phenomenon!